| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Memories and Portraits by Robert Louis Stevenson: look somewhat down on incident, and reserve their admiration for
the clink of teaspoons and the accents of the curate. It is
thought clever to write a novel with no story at all, or at least
with a very dull one. Reduced even to the lowest terms, a certain
interest can be communicated by the art of narrative; a sense of
human kinship stirred; and a kind of monotonous fitness, comparable
to the words and air of SANDY'S MULL, preserved among the
infinitesimal occurrences recorded. Some people work, in this
manner, with even a strong touch. Mr. Trollope's inimitable
clergymen naturally arise to the mind in this connection. But even
Mr. Trollope does not confine himself to chronicling small beer.
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from When the World Shook by H. Rider Haggard: during all those two hundred and fifty thousand years of sleep.
Possibly if Yva's theory, as I understood it, were correct, he
had reincarnated as Attila, or Tamerlane, or Napoleon, or even as
Chaka the terrible Zulu king. At any rate there he was still in
the world, filled with the dread of death, but consumed now as
ever by his insatiable and most useless finite ambitions.
Yva, also! Her case was his, but yet how different. In all this
long night of Time she had but ripened into one of the sweetest
and most gentle women that ever the world bore. She, too, was
great in her way, it appeared in her every word and gesture, but
where was the ferocity of her father? Where his desire to reach
When the World Shook |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: "What assurance can you give of that?" asked Grey, his heavy lip
protruded.
"I take it," said Mr. Wilding, "that in such matters no man can give an
assurance of anything. I speak with knowledge of the country and the
folk from which the militia is enlisted. I offer it as my opinion that
the militia is favourably disposed to Your Grace. I can do no more.
"If Mr. Wilding says so, Your Grace," put in Matthews, "I have no doubt
he has sound reasons upon which to base his opinion.
"No doubt," said Monmouth. "Indeed, I had already thought of the step
that you suggest, Colonel Matthews, and what Mr. Wilding says causes me
to look upon it still more favourably."
|
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from The Turn of the Screw by Henry James: marked in the frank look she launched me. "I'll be hanged,"
it said, "if _I_'ll speak!"
It was Flora who, gazing all over me in candid wonder,
was the first. She was struck with our bareheaded aspect.
"Why, where are your things?"
"Where yours are, my dear!" I promptly returned.
She had already got back her gaiety, and appeared to take
this as an answer quite sufficient. "And where's Miles?"
she went on.
There was something in the small valor of it that quite finished me:
these three words from her were, in a flash like the glitter of a
|
